Chefs de France

When Epcot Center opened in 1982,
visitors had the opportunity to enjoy a break from the park by scheduling lunch
or dinner at one of the restaurants around World Showcase. Each country generally
had at least one full-service restaurant, as well as a counter-service place to
pick up a quick snack. One of the most popular countries for dining was France,
with Chefs de France being the primary eatery.

Years ago, France actually
had four distinct dining options, although today there are only three. The Boulangerie
Patisserie pastry shop still remains, as does the more intimate full-service Bistro
de Paris. Located upstairs from Chefs de France, the Bistro serves fewer people
and features more gourmet food. It is open for dinner only, and priority seatings
are recommended.

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There was once a delightful sidewalk café called
Au Petite Café, which was eliminated during a renovation that incorporated
this space into Chefs de France. The Café was wonderful during nice weather,
but a bit uncomfortable in the humid Florida summers. At that time smoking was
permitted, which made my visits somewhat hit or miss. Initially I was not happy
to lose the Café, but once the new Chefs de France opened for business,
I was very impressed with the changesand to this day Chefs de France remains
a favored spot for lunch or dinner.

Chefs de France entrance. Photo by Sue Holland.

The restaurant was established
with the help of three highly successful chefs from France (Paul Bocuse, Gaston
Lenôtre and Roger Vergé), who continue to provide oversight. Whether
you approach France from the United Kingdom or Morocco, Chefs de France would
be difficult to miss. It occupies most of the ground floor of the largest building
at the entrance to the pavilion, and its kitchen also services the Bistro upstairs.

A
host or hostess will be stationed at the podium, and there are benches nearby
to make waiting comfortable. The interior of the restaurant is bright and attractive,
thanks to the many windows along the two main walls. From many tables, it is possible
to watch the street performers outside, or see people posing for photos with the
Disney characters.

The attractive interior of Chefs de France. Photo by Sue Holland.

My visits
all took place during the lunch meal, and many of the menu items are also available
during dinner. At lunch they offer a complete meal for the very reasonable price
of $14.95, and there is enough food that two people can share this, perhaps with
the addition of an extra bowl of soup. Called the French Menu, this lunch consists
of a bowl of their delicious French onion soup topped with Gruyère cheese,
a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with a salad, and also crème brulee for
dessert.

The onion soup here is the best I've had anywhere, and is not salty
at all. With a crusty French roll the soup alone can make a satisfying meal for
people with lighter appetites. If onion soup is not your favorite, the lobster
bisque ($4.95) is also excellent.

Diners ordering a la carte have several
menu items to choose from. As expected, escargots (snails baked in garlic and
butter, $7.95) are a staple, and done well here. There is also an onion tart,
which unfortunately is not the same onion tart formerly featured at the annual
Food & Wine Festival. The Chefs de France version is more of a flatbread baked
with crème fraiche, onion and bacon ($6.95). Their tomato and goat cheese
tart ($7.25) is also different than the version sold at Food & Wine. Although
the Chefs de France version of both items were good, we felt the Food & Wine version
was superior.

Other lunch appetizers include tartare of raw salmon for $8.50,
house salad for $3.95, paté for $6.75, imported cheese plate for $7.50
and a larger assortment of cheeses, pates and sliced meats serving two to four
people for $23.95. A variety of entrées and lighter items are available
at lunch, and recently friends of mine ordered the chicken crepes. Filled with
chicken, Gruyère cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, this was declared
to be something definitely worth ordering again ($10.75).

They even serve
macaroni and cheese ($13.95) as a meal, but their version is much better than
what diners have had in the past, most likely thanks to the Gruyère cheese
used. The toasted ham and cheese sandwich with salad is available by itself for
$10.25, unless you prefer your ham and cheese in quiche for $9.95.

The French are famous for their delicious
pastries, and diners at Chefs de France will have several tempting choices to
choose from. Best of all, they can be seen before being ordered. You never know
when something is going to look better than what sounds the best on the menu.
The current desserts are as follows:

As you can see, the lunch and
dinner menus list each item in French, with the description written in English,
so anyone uncomfortable trying to pronounce the French name can easily communicate
with the server by using English or simply pointing at the menu. A recommended
wine is listed underneath each item, but of course there is no pressure to order
anything just because it is listed.

At dinner, and there is a complete meal
available for $25.95, and interestingly it is also called the French Menu even
though the food is not the same as the lunch version. The dinner meal includes
the onion soup, half of a rotisserie chicken with vegetables, and crème
brulee.

The appetizers and salads remain the same as at lunch, the lighter
menu items are not present, and the list of entrees includes many more choices.
The vegetarian lasagna and macaroni & cheese are both available, but cost $15.95.
The cod is present at $22.95, the paella is now $23.95, the hanger steak is $21.95
and the half rotisserie chicken is available for $20.95. Clearly, if those are
the entrees that interest you, they can be had for less money by scheduling lunch
rather than dinner. In addition, the following entrees are available only at dinner:

Children are definitely welcome at Chefs de France,
and the kid's menu includes a couple of items not generally found in other locations.
All meals include a child-size soft drink and ice cream and range in price from
$5.45 to $5.85. The unusual prices are a mystery after seeing children's meals
more commonly ending in 95.

There are three choices on the
menu, with the most American being a hamburger with french fries.
Years ago it was served without the bun, but the current version is probably more
appealing to most children. There used to be a delicious chicken breast served
over pasta, which has now changed to a breaded chicken strip served with pasta.
The third choice is a fried filet of orange roughy served with french fries.

Lunch
generally begins at noon, although they may open earlier during very busy seasons.
While it is possible to secure a table without making a priority seating in advance,
it can be very difficult depending on the size of your party and the busyness
of the season. For example, during the holiday season when the Candelight Processional
is performed, many of the dining capacity are given to guests booking the dinner
package that includes seating at the show. Someone walking up on the spur of the
moment will almost always be turned away.

I've eaten at Chefs de France
for over 20 years now, with a variety of different people. We've yet to experience
anything but good service, great food, and a wonderful respite from the busyness
of the theme park.

Sue has been hooked on Walt Disney World since her first visit in 1972 with her parents and younger brother. She kept returning more frequently until she moved to Florida in 1986. After joining the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) in 1997, she now visits almost monthly. She also spends time at the DVC's non-WDW locations, and is experienced with the Disney cruise ships. She takes many of these trips on her own, but she's also toured WDW with large groups of people, including families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. She works as the Administrative Services Division Head for a large residential facility administered by the Florida Department of Children and Families. She currently resides in Southwest Florida with her teenage son.

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